Life Goes On
by solaesce
Summary: Is it incestuous when they're not siblings, narcissism when they're not identical? unconnected oneshots: NejiHina
1. Leaving

He strokes her hair gently, careful to not muss it up, not now, now when it has been put up elegantly, in complicated loops and waves and soft curls, despite its shortness, shorter than anyone else's in their family.

He watches her reflection in the mirror, and his reflection behind hers, seeing her pale skin, her closed eyes, her barely-there-pale-pink blush. Watching detachedly, tracing with his eyes, her soft, fragile, features, her small, perfect mouth, dark-dark-red, her small, sharp nose, her closed eyes, long eyelashes, darkened and thicker than the norm, delicately casting shadows on her skin. And he sees himself, his features just barely less fragile, less delicate, his face slightly leaner, less soft and round, his nose slightly longer, his hair darker, less blue.

And he wonders how long it could have taken him to see this, and wonders if it would be incest when they weren't siblings or narcissism when they could pass as twins.

But they weren't together, so it wasn't incest or narcissism, only perhaps incestuous and perhaps narcissistic daydreams, that make his throat tighten, and his chest ache when he realized that dreams are nothing but dreams.

And they sit there in silence, he stroking her soft hair gently. Silence, because she can't break the silence, not alone, and silence, because he can't give her his heart when he knows that she can't accept.

Not the heir of the clan, and not tonight.

Then, the chime rings, and she knows she needs to go, and he lets her go.

And she whispers, "Goodbye," in that soft, hesitant voice of hers, and she stands up and he lets her, watching her kimono, black and white and violet, perfectly suiting her, the folds brushing against the chair, swishing softly.

She looks back as she leaves the room, but she doesn't stop. And that was how she leaves him.


	2. Forbidden

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto…kinda obvious, though… dunno why disclaimers are needed…

Anyhow… I am totally obsessed with Naruto at the moment…It's really _really _good.

So…right now, I'm pretty much writing nothing but Naruto fanfiction, and even though summer's half over, I'm going to try and write one chapter per day, and make it up when I don't. _Try _being the key word, though…

As for all of my other unfinished or need-to-be-edited fics, I'll work on them. Sometime.

As always, thank you for reading, and please enjoy and review.

--

It was night, and I walk into her room, silent as death.

It was a fitting metaphor, for she hadn't awakened, merely slept peacefully on. Had I been an assassin, an enemy, she would have been dead.

Simply because she could not sleep lightly, "sleep with one eye open," in a manner that would befit a _kunoichi_, and keep her alive.

But she was lucky, for it was only I, and I would, no, _could,_ do the Hyuuga heiress no harm, even had I wanted to.

Fortunately for her, harm was the last thing on my mind.

Even in the dark, Hinata-sama was a delicate beauty.

Pale, nearly translucent skin that nearly glowed in the dark, soft, fragile features that were peacefully relaxed as she slumbered on gently.

I sat on her bed quietly, sinking into the lush mattress. Quite some time passed, as I sat there silently, reminiscing on the me-of-before.

And I wondered how I could have been so cruel, so harsh, so _blind_ to Hinata-sama's kindness, her sincerity, her desperation to please _everyone_…including me…

Suddenly she shifted, breaking my train of thought, and I froze, wondering whether I should leave or stay still, but she stilled before slumbering on.

And I sighed, my hand caressing her cheek gently, barely brushing against her skin.

"I apologize, Hinata-sama," I whisper, and then I laugh bitterly, for what use is it to apologize to one asleep? But I continue. "It was all my fault. I was so _blind_."

I pause, and swallowed, before continuing, "I swear on my honor as a Hyuuga that I will always protect you from now to my death, and that I will do so even when in danger of dying, and that I will help you in any way possible for your best interests."

"I – I love you, Hinata-sama."

"But that is forbidden, Hinata-sama," I brush a few strands of hair away from her face. "I am sorry."

And I kiss her on the forehead gently. "Goodnight, Hinata-sama. Sweet dreams."

I never go back. Either on my word or her room.

--


	3. Songs of Goodbye

It is midnight, just past midnight, and the loud chimes fade away into the night sky, sweetly, slowly

**Disclaimer: Read Chapter 2's.**

**Warning: AU, slightly confusing, lack of details?**

--

It is midnight, just past midnight, and the loud chimes fade away into the night sky, sweetly, slowly.

He shifts slightly and watches the clock tower's minute hand move to one minute of the new day.

It is a particularly dark night, the city having gone to sleep by now, with just a dim glow from the few lights that he could see here and there from past the castle walls up in one of the taller towers of the palace. It is a cloudless night, the stars twinkling, shimmering pinpoints of light, and the moon that seemed to hang as a painting from a dark wall, a silver crescent that seemed both forever out of his reach yet close enough to touch.

He looks at the clock tower again, and is almost surprised that it is already 20 minutes into the new day, nearly 13 hours of the past, and he knows that he needs wait not much longer.

At half of the hour past midnight, the end and the beginning, he takes his flute out of his pocket, and begins to play, softly, gently; his breath misting the surface of the crudely made instrument, for this was how they met.

He remembers how they met, reminiscing on the night that was much like this one, with a heavier wind than the slight one tonight that stroked his long, dark hair with clumsy breezes, whispering and creating its own song with the one that he lets take over, murmuring of life after death, of unexpected encounters.

He begins softly today, a quiet tune that whispers of eternal promises and hints of the sweeter things in life, before the wind begins weaving its own tune against his, murmurs of empty plains with nothing blocking their breezes, of the clouds that they can tease, of days where they shriek with grief as rain plunged down its torments as the air grows heavy.

The tune travels to distant thoughts, of sorrow and hurt, of longing and confusion and an aching cold in his chest, and the wind sighs with him, before pulling him to joyful days, of soft sweet kisses, of the warmth of one next to him, and quiet giggles of joy.

And his song grows quiet, weaving its spell around the city, murmurs of promises and determination in the face of hidden doubt, and the wind sighs again, a wordless tune behind his as he remembers promises of the past, tears that he had kept hidden in his heart, and the wind rises to a higher pitch, drenching the air with detached anger and grief. Then a soft humming began, and the wind slows, nearly confused, and his tune is quiet, asking _Who are you?_ and the humming continues, hinting towards the warmth of a new dawn, a joy more strong and sturdy that the quick flings of the romantic youth.

A soft song of '_I love you_'s and '_Forgive me_'s and he searches for her white eyes, dark hair silky to his fingers, and he whispers back the sweet nothings of their past.

Their song fades away, and he sees a soft hesitant smile and pale pink blush that fades away as the color of dawn stains the night sky.

It was their goodbye.

He watches the sun rise out, slowly, surely, staining his city with warmth and light.

--

Hope you enjoyed that, whoever's reading this. Kinda, well, totally, actually, didn't turn out the way I expected it to, but kinda nice, in my opinion.

A bit confusing, though. If, say up to 5 people ask me about this, I'll upload this document again and explain what's going on.

I really can't believe that I am actually managing to finish a chapter per day. :D

Anyways, please review/critique, and have a nice day.

_Finished: July 21, 2008_

_Uploaded: July 21, 2008_

_Words: 560_


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